The Scottish export trade, 1460-1599 : from the Exchequer Rolls

Abstract

This thesis presents a quantitative examination of the Scottish export trade, 1460-1599, using the custumars’ accounts which form part of the ‘Exchequer Rolls of Scotland’. The Exchequer rolls are one of the most accessible and massively informative of sources for the period they cover. It has been shown that valuable information about the Scottish export trade and the state of the Scottish economy can be extracted from this source. It is, however, complex and variable, and must be carefully interpreted before raw data is extracted. The first two sections of [the] introduction draw heavily on the invaluable work of Dr Athol Murray as a guide in understanding the inconsistencies of the record. The last section addresses the problems associated with using the accounts for compiling quantitative records of the Scottish export trade. We are dealing with one of the few areas of the Scottish economy which is recorded quantitatively. Investigations of the fluctuations in the volume of exports and the nature of the goods exported can, if considered over a sufficient period, supply considerable information on Scottish trade and thereby on certain facets of at least the market side of the early-modern Scottish economy.